


Drown Me with Your Love

by ziamfcks



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Drowning, M/M, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-09
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-04-03 14:50:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4104895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ziamfcks/pseuds/ziamfcks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mermaid!AU where Louis is a lonely mermaid and Harry is the person who brings him companionship. It may or may not be love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drown Me with Your Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [styleslaurent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/styleslaurent/gifts).



> I have so many things to say. Firstly, I want to thank the admins of this exchange for being so accommodating because I was late with this fic. It means a lot that they let me have extra time. I tried to write different fics for this exchange 4 times, but this is the only one I really loved so I wanted this to be the one you saw. 
> 
> Secondly, I can't name my beta but she is the loveliest, most amazing person on earth. She was my cheerleader through this fic, let me break her heart, bug her at 2 am, and rush her into finishing editing when all she wanted to do was sleep. I owe her the world and when I can reveal who she is everyone should follow her. She beta'd my last fic and for now we will call her my fairy godmother because she always makes my dreams come true. 
> 
> And lastly, thank you to Styleslaurent, whom this fic is for. It stressed me out for awhile but I really think I wrote something to be proud of and it's the longest thing I have written and finished to date. So for that, I couldn't be more grateful 
> 
> As for the readers, I'm sorry if this puts you in pain. If I need to tag something please do tell me, I don't want to actually hurt any of you. Comment what you think and if you liked it!

Louis has been watching people for years. Usually it was teenagers since those were the people who came to his cove. He didn’t mind that. He got to see them get shit faced and dance around bonfires. He envied that. 

He had been human once too. And he remembered that time clearly. 

He was on the beach with his parents and his sisters, and as the young naive boy that he was, he thought he could swim in deeper waters. His mum wasn’t paying attention to him, too busy watching his little sister, Fizzy, as she built sandcastles. He had been fine for awhile, frolicking in waves and diving under them and coming up giggling. He had always loved the beach and the water even more. His mum had gotten them a seasonal pool and he stayed in it until his lips turned blue and she had to physically pull him from it. 

He had thought he would be fine in the waves. But here he was in the waves suddenly being pulled under by a tidal wave. He couldn’t tell which way was up or down or how to get out. He had surfaced briefly and then been pulled right back under. He gasped for breath and he felt water filling his lungs. Everything felt tight and his vision was red and blurry as he tried to see through the waves. He surfaced again and heard his mother screaming with fear. He saw her one last time when he surfaced again and he briefly noted his step father running into the water to collect him. 

When he got pulled under again he didn’t surface. He felt his head feeling lighter and lighter as he got dragged under by the strong waves. It felt like a movie to him, staring up at the surface while he was being dragged deeper and deeper into the depths of sea. And then he had passed out. 

Or he assumes he did. Louis didn’t remember anything other than waking up underwater, being able to breathe and suddenly having a tail like the Little Mermaid. He had jerked up from the sandy ocean floor and looked around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the ocean. The fish swam as normal and no one was around. He breathed in and out a few times just to confirm, and then he swam. 

That’s how he had found the cove. It was nice and secluded which was nice when he needed peace and quiet, though it always provided entertainment when the teenagers came around to party. He understood it now more than he did when he was younger- the letting go and just letting all your cares run free, even just for a night. That’s why he envied them. Every once in a while these people would get to come someplace and get drunk and have fun with their friends. They got to dance and sing together and sometimes he even got to see them kissing. That’s probably what he envied most. 

There wasn’t much companionship in being a mermaid. Watching the teenagers was the most interaction he usually got. He was lonely but he didn’t dare try to befriend anyone. He had met a few mermaids along the way, nomadic ones usually who warned him that most people were very distrustful and scared once they saw what you were. Some would even try to kill you. Ever since he had heard that he made sure to keep his distance from the humans. 

He couldn’t help longing for a friend though. He missed his family and he missed being able to call to his mum at night when he had a nightmare. He missed drinking tea in the mornings and eating sugary cereal. He missed watching cartoons, he missed playing footie, he missed it all. The ocean was a big place, and he would dare say it was also the loneliest place he had ever known. 

Tonight he wasn’t focused on the loneliness though. He was focused on the group of teenagers that had taken residence over the cove. They had spread their tents out and started up a fire. He could see them drinking, girls cuddled up to the boys and people making out while getting drunk. One boy caught his eye though. He was a bit farther from the group, drinking his beer silently. He would smile sometimes but he seemed pretty uncomfortable with the whole ordeal. He had the prettiest curls and even from where Louis was hidden he could see his sparkling green eyes. He sucked in a breath and wished he could go over and tell him it would be okay, but he was stuck in the damn water. 

He stayed hidden for most of the night, only moving when the curly haired lad would so he could track his movements. He noticed the boy saying he was going to take a walk and he silently followed. 

The curly haired boy walked barefoot around the sand, closer to the water and over to the rocks. Louis stayed a comfortable distance from him and stayed just above water, so only his eyes and the top of his head poked out. The boy was singing quietly to himself and Louis was entranced by it. He swam up closer and got his entire head out of the water to listen better, smiling when he recognized the tune. Frank Sinatra’s, “Fly Me to the Moon.” His mum used to sing it all the time to him, a lullaby. He couldn't help his fascination. It was all too much to pull away from. 

He got as close as he could on the rocks, still submerged from the waist down. He shook his hair out and placed his head onto his arms and just listened and watched as the boy slowed and just stared up at the stars. It felt like the singing went on for hours. He just kept going, switching from song to song and they were all so sweet. Louis found himself drifting off as he listened, smiling into his arms. 

[+]

He woke up to something tugging on his arm. He mumbled softly and rubbed his eyes before opening them and nearly screaming when he saw the curly haired lad so close- touching him. He scrambled back, sliding back into the water and trying to move back without showing his tail. Having pretty curls and a nice voice didn’t mean he wasn’t a killer. 

The boy just stared and held his hands out, as if he was going to grab Louis. He looked panicked though, maybe like he had thought Louis was hurt. He was half laying on the rocks and he didn’t quite know how alive or dead he looked. There was a distinct lack of mirrors in the ocean. He watched the boy carefully and slowly sank down until just his eyes were showing again. 

The boy watched and swallowed thickly. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He spoke slowly and kept his hands where Louis could see them. 

Louis appreciated that. He wasn’t keen on being shot so he could be shown in museums or in a circus like a trophy. 

“I saw you lying there.” He explained. “And I heard you snoring. I thought you might not want to wake up lying at the bottom of the ocean.” He said and smiled, showing Louis that he was only teasing. 

Louis might’ve thought it was funny had it not been exactly what got him into this mess. 

The boy seemed to sense he didn’t think it was funny and he stopped smiling and flushed, looking around and fiddling with his hands and hair. “I, uh-” he said and swallowed thickly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out is all.” He finished lamely and breathed out heavily through his nose. 

Louis found the boy’s nervous fidgeting endearing. He thought about how he hadn’t had human contact in years, over a decade and here was this boy who had just wanted him not to drown. How dangerous could he be? He swam forward tentatively and let his whole face come out of the water. He stopped about a foot away from the boy and looked him over carefully from up close before he spoke. 

“I’m Louis.” He said and the words sounded weird on his tongue. He felt like he hadn’t spoken properly in ages. 

The curly haired lad smiled and sat onto one of the rocks and let his legs stretch out in front of him. “I’m Harry.” 

Louis swam closer and studied Harry’s face before he said his name aloud and smiled softly. “I like that name.” He said and nodded his head before he pulled back a little bit. “How old are you, Harry?” 

“I’m 17.” Harry replied and Louis cocked his head to the side. He seemed younger. He had boyish features and still had a bit of baby fat; he seemed to be in that awkward transitioning stage. Louis thought it was cute though. 

“How old are you?” Harry asked and Louis paused for a moment. He didn’t really know. He didn’t keep a calendar in his ocean home so he just looked confused. “What year is it now?” He asked and watched as Harry furrowed his brows and told him. Louis mentally calculated and smiled once he got it. 

“I'm 19.” He said proudly, blushing as he realized how dumb he sounded. 

Harry seemed to think it was cute though and he nodded. “Where do you live? And why are you still in the water? Isn’t it like, freezing?” He asked and Louis shook his head. 

“It feels fine. I like being in the water.” He said and moved his tail under himself, though Harry couldn’t see since it was so dark. 

“You aren’t afraid of the fish? Or the sharks?” He asked nervously and Louis laughed. He had met his fair share of sharks and he wasn’t afraid of them. They were big babies and he always scared them before they could even try to hurt him. 

“Please, Harold, sharks swim far away when they see me coming. You think a Great White is scary? You should see me when I’m hungry.” He said and Harry snorted out a laugh and had to cover his mouth while he let his curls flop into his eyes. He pushed them out of the way after a moment and shook his head at Louis. 

“M’names not Harold. It’s just Harry.” 

“Oh is it? Nice to meet you Just Harry.” He teased and moved higher up on the rocks. 

Harry laughed again and shook his head at him. “I’ve just met you and you’re already cracking dad jokes. That’s supposed to be my speciality.” He said and Louis just shook his head fondly. 

“I bet you tell horrid jokes Harold. Just terrible ones.” He responded and Harry smiled, nodding his head to agree. 

“None of the people over there appreciate my humor. I bet you would. You already make some of the jokes I make.” He said, and Louis smiled softly. 

“Yeah? None of them appreciate your humor. Well, lucky for you, I’ve no one else to listen to. Everything you say is entertaining.” 

Harry nodded as he listened to Louis and raised a brow as he caught back up to his thoughts. “Oh yeah, you never answered me. Where do you live? Close by? Did you come with friends or… because I didn’t see you with us and you look like you’ve been swimming for awhile.” He said and frowned. “Are you sure you aren’t cold? I can go get a towel.” He gestured to where his friends were and Louis looked back before shaking his head.   
“I’m… Yeah I’m from around here. I guess you could say that.” He murmured and shrugged softly. “The water is my home. Or it feels like it.” He rushed to explain. “I’d rather just stay in. When you go back I’ll swim awhile more and then get out.” He lied. 

Harry looked suspicious and leaned down closer to Louis. “You really shouldn’t be in the water though. Bad things can happen to people late at night, especially if you’re swimming alone.” He said and Louis waved him off. 

“I’m not your mum, Louis, but don’t think I won’t drag you out. I barely know you, but I would feel terrible if I left and the next day I see a headline saying you washed up on shore dead,” he said and Louis almost snorted laughing. He fucking wished he could be dead. Living by himself, always afraid of talking to humans, never able to have a family, or a home. It was not a life he had ever dreamed of having and if he could figure out how to die he absolutely would. But he knew in reality he couldn’t and wouldn’t kill himself. That was just a dream. Just like being human again. 

“You won’t drag me out.” He said firmly. “I mean what I say Harry. The ocean is my home. This is where I want to be.” He said and nodded his head softly. 

Harry continued to look on Louis suspiciously and he shook his head and reached out to grab for Louis’ arm. 

“You need to get out.” He said and Louis only felt his hands grabbing on for a moment before he yanked himself back. He didn’t realize how firmly Harry had gripped on until he was falling into the water with a scream. Louis’ eyes widened and he dove for him, not caring about Harry noticing his tail at this point. The water was cold for humans and he knew if he didn’t get Harry out he would probably lose a hand or his life. 

Harry was splashing and panicking while Louis tried to grab ahold of him. He continued to try and hush Harry and repeatedly told him he was okay, knowing his friends had probably heard and were going to be rushing over to save him. He could feel Harry’s legs kicking and sliding over his tail and he groaned as he hauled Harry up and pushed him onto the rocks. He hadn’t done such a great job though and they both just slipped right back into the water which only served to freak Harry out more. 

Louis had to yank his curls to get him to calm down. He could feel him shivering and he could hear his teeth chattering as he used his tail to propel them to the rocks. He used his momentum to get them both onto the rocks, farther this time so he wouldn’t slip off. It meant his tail was out in plain sight but he couldn’t help it at this point. 

He slammed a hand on Harry’s back and helped him cough up the water. He stayed beside him as he calmed himself and he even reached to brush his hair out of his eyes. Harry blinked at him and then seemed to take in his tail and everything. His mouth dropped and he looked at Louis’ face, but Louis didn’t have time to explain. He could hear Harry’s friends calling out and running towards the rocks. He only had time to look at Harry pleadingly and whisper, “Please don’t tell,” before he pushed himself back into the water. He looked at Harry once more, apologizing silently before he disappeared with a small splash of his tail. 

[+] 

Louis hadn’t gone back to the cove for three days. He remembered the stories. Some passing mermaids told him about a girl who had fallen in love with a human friend or she thought it was love. He had just been using her and once they got close he captured her and tried to kill her so he could get rich off of the discovery. He hadn’t been able to kill her but he had managed to tear up her tail pretty well and she had been scared ever since. She wasn’t able to swim well and awhile later she got trapped in a fishing net. 

Another boy had tried to get close to a girl to become friends and the girl had brought a search team and captured him, keeping him in the smallest box a mermaid could survive in. He had gone insane later and ended up killing himself rather than being kidnapped. 

Louis felt like those stories were quite old but he also knew stuff like that must still be able to happen. People were greedy creatures and anything people could do to gain fame and fortune they would do. He believed exposing a mythical creature would create riches beyond belief. 

He didn’t know if Harry was the type of person to do so. He wasn’t about to risk it though. So he stayed away.

He stayed in the general area of the cove. He had a few things in the cove he wanted to keep. Mostly a few items he had found along the rocks or on the beach; cracked mirrors, utensils, hair ties, forgotten jewelry, a glass beer bottle or two. It wasn't much but they were his and he liked them. He had to have something to come home to. Without people to come home to it wasn’t much of a home, but he made do. 

He had to be sure Harry wasn’t there though. He didn’t want to get trapped and hurt. He wasn’t keen on dying. He slowly made his way back into the cove as the sun began to set. He stayed underwater for awhile, just moving along the ocean floor and admiring the fish and the other sea life. He really did like the ocean, but he imagined if he were human again he probably wouldn’t go back to the ocean for a long, long while. 

As it was, he was stuck though so he moved closer to his spot by the rocks where he had hidden everything and just poked his eyes and ears out. He looked around and it seemed clear so he began to swim closer, pulling himself up and out of the water to grab his things. He paused immediately when he heard a voice- Harry’s voice. 

“-and so my teachers have just been being really terrible. My maths teacher especially. She’s just so annoying and she needs to know how to divide- see what I did there-” He heard Harry chuckle to himself at his own terrible joke. “Divide her time.” He finished and Louis frowned, wondering who he was talking to. He slowly lifted himself up a bit more to peek over the rocks and he was surprised at what he saw. 

Harry was sitting alone. He stared at him and watched as Harry picked at his little array of food. He had a loaf of bread beside him and while he talked to no one he was throwing bits into the ocean for the fish. He had a blanket wrapped around himself since it was a bit chilly and that was it. Like a little picnic for himself. 

Louis watched him for awhile and just listened to Harry rant about his day. He seemed pretty content to sit alone and he wondered what had brought him back, if anything. Maybe he just liked the calm it provided. It was weird to listen to him again though, he hadn’t really seen anyone twice. No one came back, or at least no one he recognized. But here Harry was. 

“How was your day, Louis?” Harry asked after a few moments pause and then sighed to himself as if he wasn’t expecting an answer. Louis was so caught off guard about it he slipped and fell right back into the water with a loud and obnoxious splash. He didn’t want to know if Harry had actually known he was there. He was not about to be caught. He swam as fast as he could, deeper than the eye could see from above until he knew he was far enough away. 

He surfaced and breathed heavily, leaning against a piece of driftwood he had found and pushed his hair from his face. 

How had Harry known he was there? He was so quiet. He didn’t make the obnoxious flipper noises and he didn't slap his wet scales all along the rocks. He was as silent as an eel. There was no possible way that Harry could’ve seen or heard him. He hadn’t even swam on that side of the rocks and Harry had his back to Louis. It just wouldn't happen. 

Unless… unless maybe Harry hadn’t known. That concept confused Louis because he didn’t quite understand why Harry would be there talking to himself if he had friends like the ones he had originally come to the cove with. He understood lonely but Harry didn’t seem to be that way. And the idea that maybe Harry had come back for him… it was a lot. He couldn’t imagine a non-malicious reason for Harry to come back to the cove. 

He decided that night before he went to sleep he would go back tomorrow, stay hidden and out of sight and scope things out. He would figure out what Harry was doing there. And if it was bad he would take his things and go. He could find another spot somewhere else to call home. 

[+]

The next day he went back and waited by the rocks for any sign of Harry. He showed up around sunset again, setting up his blankets and picnic. He seemed to have his bookbag this time as well. Louis watched from afar as he set up his things, turned on his music and just worked. Occasionally he threw some bread in for the fish and sang along but mostly he just sat, doing his work, talked a bit about his day to no one in particular and left. 

Louis was confused as he watched the whole ordeal. Who was this kid? He didn’t bring any fishing hooks, no spears, no nets, nothing but things for himself and the fish. This observation only served to confuse Louis more. 

He watched from the same place as Harry showed up the next day with the same routine. And again the day after and the next and the next. Watching Harry the whole time wasn’t even helping, it only confused and frustrated Louis ten times more because every single day he watched Harry do nothing but talk and work and eat and go home. 

He didn’t know what to make of it. This kid just seemed to be enjoying himself as he sat in the cove. 

After a few weeks of this Louis was absolutely fed up. He had been sharpening up a rock he had found and he was ready to defend himself. He let Harry get comfortable and start his work before he swam up slowly, making sure not to alert Harry to his presence. He had the rock gripped tightly in his hand as he got closer and once he was close enough he moved more out of the water so his head and shoulders could be seen. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Louis asked, holding his hands underwater so Harry wouldn’t know he had the weapon. He needed the element of surprise if he was going to take Harry down. 

Harry jumped at the sound of Louis’ voice and nearly dropped his papers into the water. Louis almost felt bad but he reminded himself of the other mermaids tales and he kept his ground. 

 

“What are you doing here? This is my cove. You can’t just come occupy it everyday.” He snapped and Harry looked away sheepishly. 

 

“I wanted to- I came here to- I came to apologize for the night we met.” He said, sounding honest and quite shy. Louis kept a suspicious eye on him and moved closer. 

“Apologize for what?” He asked. 

“Apologize for grabbing you. And almost getting you caught. I didn’t know- I don’t know how I could’ve but I am sorry. I thought you would get hurt in cold water but you’re a mermaid so you live in the water so I don’t quite know if it could ever kill you.” He rambled and Louis cut him off. 

“You came to apologize?” He asked, doubt raising in his voice. This didn't sound like the stories he had heard. He was pretty suspicious of Harry at the moment. 

Harry just nodded and held on tightly to his books and papers, almost shielding himself from Louis. He must've sensed that Louis was on edge and felt like he was about to be attacked. Louis decided he wouldn't attack but he wouldn't let down his defenses either. 

"Alright." He murmured and swam a bit closer. "Apology accepted. Thank you for keeping my secret." He said and watched Harry. 

Harry set his things down after a few minutes and nodded. "Yeah of course. You looked really scared that I would tell people." He said and shrugged. "I didn't want to hurt you." He said honestly and bit his lip. 

Louis nodded and swam even closer so he could see the food Harry had. He noticed most of it was healthy things, nuts and some fruit and cheese. Louis wrinkled his nose and reached for some of it. 

"You have the option for so many things and you picked... Almonds and apples and cheese." Louis blanched. Harry blushed sweetly and hide his face by turning the other way. 

"I like healthy food. And my mum wouldn't let me bring dinner. She wants me home for dinner." He explained and looked at the time. "Which I have to get to on time so I actually have to go." He said as he began to pack up his things. 

Louis nodded and watched him go, humming softly and backing up from the rocks. "Alright." He said. 

Harry glanced at him and stopped packing his things up, watching quietly. "Will you come back tomorrow?" He asked hopefully. "I come around 6 and leave at sunset."

Louis nodded and hummed. "I know. I've been watching for a bit. I didn't know why you were here."

Harry stared at him and then shook his head. "I've been talking to myself and you watched." He breathed and sighed before standing up. "Now I need to remember what I said. What if it was embarrassing?" 

Louis laughed and shrugged. "Too late now. I've heard it all." He said and waved goodbye. "I'll be here tomorrow. And I know you've kept my secret but I swear to god, if you bring someone else I won't come out." He warned and gave Harry a menacing look. 

Harry nodded and zipped his lips and threw the key to promise Louis he wouldn't tell. "I'm just excited to see you again." He said and waved goodbye. 

Louis watched him go and smiled to himself. It was a bit sweet that he had said that but he was still going to be cautious. The last thing he wanted was to trust the wrong boy and get killed. But Harry seemed pretty nice and harmless. He couldn’t swim if the way he freaked out in the water was any indication. He brought his homework to the rocks. Maybe he really wasn’t trying to hurt Louis. He decided to proceed with caution, but Harry really did seem sweet. 

He wasn’t bad looking either, if Louis thought about it. He shook his head at himself and dove back underwater. After he found a place to hide his sharpened weapon he went to find a place to sleep for the night. 

[+] 

Harry kept his word and came back the next day with a bigger spread of food. Louis swam to him from where he was waiting and smiled. He pulled himself up onto the rocks so his torso was out of the water but his tail could stay in. Harry smiled at him and made plenty of room. 

Louis listened to Harry talk about his day and nibbled on the snacks he bought, absentmindedly reading the back for the ingredients. Harry hummed as he watched and leaned closer to Louis. 

“What’s is like to be a mermaid?” He asked. 

Louis paused and glanced at Harry, wanting to not talk about it but he pushed through. “It’s okay, I suppose. It’s a bit lonely honestly. I swim with the fish a lot and like, the dolphins if you can find them. But I’ve been alone since I became a mermaid. And even when you meet other mermaids, they usually don’t stay long.” 

Harry nodded and played with his pencil. “So there are others?” He asked. 

Louis nodded and reached for some of the fruit. He hummed as he bit into a strawberry and let the juice drip down his chin. Harry watched and reached for him. “You got a little,” he gestured and blushed. Louis smiled softly and wiped it away with his hand and confirmed with Harry that it was okay. 

“I’m good?” He asked and Harry nodded. 

“You’re good.”

They stayed silent together for awhile, Harry scribbling on his homework, trying to concentrate while Louis lounged on the rock and ate his snacks, reading over anything he could find. There obviously weren’t a lot of books in the ocean, but Louis enjoyed reading. He liked how calming it was and he could do it alone or with people. When he looked away from the food labels to find something else he noticed Harry’s eyes on him. 

“What?” He asked and blushed, wondering if he had something on his face. “Did I miss something? Am I all sticky?” He wondered. 

Harry smiled softly and shook his head. “No. Just… i dunno. You look really relaxed.” He explained and looked away. 

Louis smiled as he watched him and nodded his head. He didn’t quite know how to respond so he just grabbed one of Harry’s textbooks and began to flip through it, reading the diagrams and the long paragraphs of endless text. He had no idea what any of it meant but he loved reading it just for the act of it. 

Harry couldn’t take his eyes off of Louis. The way the sunset cast shadows on Louis’ strong jaw, and how the water glistened on his back. He didn’t even feel like he had to speak with Louis. He was content in sitting with him in silence. To be in his presence was plenty. And while he just admired he watched the little things Louis did. The way he silently said the words as he read them, and if he was trying to concentrate, he stuck his tongue out a bit. He would mindlessly move his hair from his face and Harry thought all of it was enticing. 

Louis only looked up when the sun was really setting and he noticed Harry staring. He searched his eyes for a moment before he snapped out of it. “Hey, you need to like, you have to go soon don’t you?” He asked and gestured to the sky. “It’s late and it’ll be cold soon.” 

Harry nodded weakly and began to pack everything up. “Yeah, you’re right.” He said and smiled softly. “But I’m going to be back tomorrow, alright?” 

Louis smiled proudly and nodded as he pushed himself back into the water. “I’m looking forward to it, Harold.” He said and smiled. Harry just groaned as he stood up.

“Oh, fuck off. My name is Harry and you know it.” 

Louis laughed as he laid on his back and splashed some water at Harry’s feet with his tail. “I remember. You’re Just Harry.” He said, winking and laughing a bit. 

Harry just laughed and flipped him off. “I’ll be back tomorrow Lou. Have a good night.” He said and waved. Louis returned the wave and watched as he began to make his way over the rocks. He couldn’t stop thinking about how nice their night had been and as he swam away, he had Harry’s smile in the back of his mind the whole time. 

[+]

The next day Harry did come back, just like promised. And it started to become a routine. Harry would come with books and food, enough to share and tell Louis about his day. Louis would listen and ask questions, wanting to know more and more about the way humans lived. He had been a human once, obviously, but a lot had changed since he was. Now he had to live vicariously through Harry. 

Harry would explain the weirdest things, like technology, and Louis never understood any of it, even when Harry would bring him a laptop to see what it was like. He would let Louis play on his phone as well to try and figure it out and explore. It kept him occupied while he did homework at least. 

And then Harry would start to bring pleasure reads. He let Louis lounge beside him on the rocks and read silently as he worked. Sometimes he would feed him candy or bits of turkey and cheese, even let him have some of his sandwich that he would bring. They just began to share everything. 

Slowly, Louis began to open up to Harry as well. He told him how he became a mermaid, how scary it was to drown and wake up alone as something you didn’t know. He told him how he had learned that being a mermaid meant hunting the fish and eating them raw (which he completely resented at first since he hated seafood and now it was his entire diet), but he had learned to love it. He even showed Harry how he hunted, popping up from the water with the fish in his mouth. 

That had just led to Harry giggling like a six year old and begging Louis to do tricks like a seal at a water park. Louis had begrudgingly obliged, feigning that he hated it but he absolutely loved the attention. He smiled as he watched Harry standing on the rocks, throwing fish up in the air. Louis would go under water and propel himself up and snatch the fish before diving back down, splashing Harry only a little bit. When he surfaced Harry was always smiling and begging him to do it again.

Other days were more relaxed. Harry figured out that Louis loved to read so he would bring an extra book for when he finished his homework. Then he would let Louis lay beside him as he read adventure books, bits and pieces from fairytales and some Harry Potter. He even did all the voices which made Louis smile. Louis usually rested his head against Harry’s shoulder as he listened to him read and mindlessly moved his tail in the water since he got pretty uncomfortable when he tried to get out of the water. 

Harry didn’t mind though. He liked cuddling with Louis, and he knew Louis enjoyed having someone to talk to and be with. Louis cherished those few hours a day he had with Harry, and on weekends sometimes longer. 

Today Harry had brought a spread for lunch since he had the day off. Louis got onto the rock and rested on the blanket that Harry had laid out for him and smiled up at him.   
“What has the great Chef Harry made for us today?” Louis asked and rubbed his hands together. He was so hungry and Harry had promised something great for their day. 

Harry smiled and shook his head fondly. “Well, we have today a deluxe spread. Fruit salad,” He said as he got out the tupperware. “Then peanut butter and jelly with the crust cut off, potato crisps, and for dessert, we have some little pies.” He said and smiled once it was all spread out. 

Louis looked at all of the food and bit his lip. It reminded him of home- before he was a mermaid. It brought back memories of playing footie in the backyard and having his mum call him in, running inside all muddy and having her reprimand him lovingly about her clean kitchen floors. He would apologize loudly, wash his hands and get up onto the seat to see his food, cut up just the right size and all. 

Harry had done it just like his mum- crust off, cut into triangles with the salt and vinegar crisps on the side. He had no idea how Harry would’ve known that, he obviously didn’t but it just felt so… nice. Nice to be taken care of for once since he had had to grow up so quickly when he became a mermaid. 

Harry was getting out the napkins and paper plates and Louis just stared at him, feeling his heart beating heavily in his chest. He couldn’t stop staring at the way Harry’s curls flopped into his eyes and how he smiled with his bright white teeth and the cutest dimples. How he wore floral dressy shirts and the tightest jeans ever but he completely owned it. 

Harry caught him staring as he sat down and blushed, looking away. “Is there a stain on my trousers or summat?” He asked and Louis shook his head before reaching over to him and brushing his hair back. 

“No, just… just admiring.” He said and nodded. 

Harry stared back at him and leaned into his touch, biting his lip softly. They just stayed silent and watched each other before they both realized and looked away quickly. 

Louis couldn’t believe it, couldn’t even think it to himself as he put his plate together, but he was pretty sure he was in love. That realization hit him like a ton of bricks, made it hard to breathe like he was drowning, the water filling his lungs up as he tried to fight against the waves, doing his best to catch his breath, but everytime he tried he swallowed more water. 

He had never been in love so he didn’t know what it was supposed to feel like, but he knew that was how he felt. It was intense and overwhelming, but just like when he had drowned he hadn’t lost his life. He had just gained a new one, a different kind of life- just like he thought being in love with Harry might be like. 

Harry seemed to notice Louis’ intense train of thought and he bumped his knuckles against Louis’ bare shoulder. 

“You alright?” He asked. He had stopped eating to check up on Louis and Louis couldn’t help but smile softly and nod. 

“Yeah. Always good with you.” He said and went back to his food. 

They talked through lunch and then cleaned up before they settled in together, laying on their backs against the rocks, arms touching as they watched the clouds. 

Louis began to make up stories out of the clouds he saw and made them all so extravagant, with voices and motions to go along with them just so he could hear Harry’s laugh. 

After a bit they just lay in silence together and didn’t speak. Louis absentmindedly dragged his fingers along Harry’s arm and hummed softly before he listened to Harry shuffling to sit up. 

“I want to learn how to swim.” He said and looked at Louis. Louis frowned and sat up, swishing his tail a bit more. 

“You want to learn to swim?” He asked and nodded, before he shrugged. “Well I’ll teach you,” he said. 

Harry smiled softly. “You would do that?” He asked and Louis nodded before scoffing. 

“Of course I would. I owe you for all you do for me. You bring me snacks and books to read. You cuddle me and let me lay on your blankets.” He said and smiled softly. “You’ve been my friend… and even a bit more to me. More than you could imagine.” 

Harry just stared at him before he bit his lip. “Yeah?” He asked and moved a little closer to Louis. “You’ve kinda been more to me than just a friend too.” He said and Louis nodded, leaning his body closer. 

“I’m glad. It’s nice to have someone, you know?” He asked and flicked his eyes between Harry’s lips and his eyes. 

Harry nodded in response and moved closer, breathing a bit heavier. Louis felt like this was it, he was about to be kissed by this guy, and he hadn’t ever thought he would like this or he would have his first kiss as a mermaid on the rocks after a picnic, but life didn’t always go as planned and he was plenty ready for this. 

He closed his eyes and tilted his head into Harry’s, ready to feel how soft Harry’s lips were, if they were as soft as they looked, ready to see what he tasted like. What it would feel like to have his hands on someone else and have someone’s hands on him in that way- and Harry had some nice hands. 

Just as they were getting closer to each other Harry’s phone began to ring loudly, playing the spice girls at an abnormally high volume. Louis and Harry both jumped back and flushed as they realized what was about to happen. Louis moved down the rock to the water as he listened to Harry answering his phone. After a few moments of Harry muttering and whining he hung up and sighed. 

“My mum wants me home.” He explained and scratched the back of his head before looking at Louis apologetically. 

Louis understood his pain. He really had wanted to kiss him but he supposed he would get other chances. Harry didn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. 

“It’s alright.” He promised and smiled softly at him. “Just- next time you come bring some swim shorts and I’ll teach you to swim, yeah?” He promised and held his pinky out. “Pinky swear?”

Harry smiled as he gathered his things and leaned down, wrapping his pinky in Louis’ smaller one and then pressing their thumbs together. “Pinky swear.” He repeated and then pulled away after a few beats and waved to Louis. 

Louis watched him retreat and slipped back into the water fully. But even the cool waves could do nothing to relax him and slow his heavy beating heart. 

[+]

Harry showed up the next day, running from his car and smiling as he saw Louis already lounging on their rock. It was their special place now (Louis secretly loved it, even though he continuously teased Harry that he was always invading his cove and taking time out of Louis’ constantly busy mermaid schedule. Harry always laughed it off.) and Louis enjoyed spending time on it. He waved to Harry from his spot and slipped back into the water. 

Harry smiled and laid his things out. “Hi. I can stay late tonight.” He said and nodded, looking out of breath and more excited than ever. Louis laughed at his excitement and nodded. 

“Yeah? You can stay late.” He repeated and smiled softly. “Well lucky for you, so can I.” He teased and Harry threw a pencil at him while giggling. 

“You’re so stupid.” He said fondly and laid a fluffy towel out for Louis. “Come rest and eat. I need to study for a bit but then in my break you can teach me to swim.” He said and Louis nodded his head. 

“Whatever you say, love.” He responded and laid back. He ate some fruit and took the sunglasses Harry wore and put them on so he could just relax. Harry barely noticed and continued to read his notes and scribble on his papers. 

They ate dinner together and Louis let Harry rest for another half hour before he sat up and pushed himself back into the water. 

“Alright, curly. C’mon. You need to learn how to swim eventually.” He said and laying back and flicking a bit of water up onto Harry. Harry cried out and smiled, standing up and stripping off his shirt before he did the same with his trousers and revealed his swim shorts. 

Louis was in shock. They were bright yellow and so short, revealing Harry’s toned thighs and how silky smooth they looked. The hair seemed to taper off as they went under the shorts and Louis felt himself salivating as he looked at him. He moved back and looked at how the sun was setting behind Harry, making him look like a God, and he was pretty sure he was speechless. He shook himself out of it though, noticing Harry really did look scared and swam closer. 

“Hey, hey,” He said softly and touched his ankle so Harry would focus on him. “I know I drowned when I was little but… but I’ve been swimming a while now.” He said and nodded. “So like… I won’t let you get hurt.” He said. 

Harry breathed in and out deeply and sat down, letting his feet rest in the water. He had to take a few deep breaths as he listened to Louis and then he held out his pinky finger. “Pink promise?” He asked nervously, biting his lip. 

Louis nodded his head and wrapped his pinky along Harry’s and pressed their thumbs together. “Pinky promise.” He confirmed. He backed up after that, letting Harry’s hand go and coaxing him in. “I’ll keep you afloat. You can even hold me under, I can breathe plenty well.” He promised. 

Harry nodded his head, letting his curls flop around. He finally just sucked in a breath and slid in. Louis was immediately by his side, holding Harry’s waist and letting Harry kick to keep himself up. Harry seemed to be panicking though and Louis only had one way to calm down his ragged breathing. 

“Hey, hey, hey, focus here.” He ordered, tightening his grip on Harry’s waist. “Wrap your legs around me if you feel like you can stay up. But you’re doing well right now. Just keep kicking,” he instructed. 

Harry nodded his head and dug his nails into Louis’ shoulders. He kicked harder but he just felt like he was falling, so he wrapped his legs around Louis’ hips like Louis told him to. He felt Louis moving his strong tail and he began to relax. 

“Maybe i’m not ready for this.” He said and Louis laughed a bit as he kept them above water.   
“If you spend forever waiting for the right moment, the right moment won’t ever come.” He said and brushed Harry’s curls back. “We don’t need to learn everything tonight. But you should learn to tread water and know it’s okay to go under. And I’ll be right beside you the whole time.” He promised and nodded.

Harry just stared at him and nodded. He seemed a little unsure still but he felt a lot calmer while he was wrapped up in Louis’ arms. 

Louis let Harry just get comfortable sitting against him. It wasn’t hard to keep them afloat since Harry really wasn’t very heavy. He just stayed silent and moved his tail back and forth, letting the movement calm Harry. 

The sun was really getting low in the sky, the water getting colder but Louis didn’t feel that. He felt very warm pressed up with Harry. It was nice to be this close, even closer than they had been before. 

“Do you wanna try to tread water again?” He asked softly and let Harry slowly move off his hips. He didn’t let go of him though and Harry smiled as he got the hang of kicking his feet to keep himself afloat. 

“And if you move your arms it's easier.” Louis encouraged, not letting go. Harry nodded and did as was suggested and laughed as he got the hang of it a bit. 

“I’m doing it!” He told Louis excitedly and splashed the water with his hands. 

Louis laughed and nodded fondly, a smile on his face as he watched. “Yeah, babe! You want me to let go so you can try by yourself?” He asked and Harry nodded tentatively. 

“Just stay close.” He said and Louis smiled. 

“Where would I go, babe? The only place I wanna be is beside you.” He promised. 

Harry couldn't help but blush and smile at that. Louis let him go at first and stayed close in case he was needed. Harry seemed to be getting the hang of it though,97 and Louis clapped for him. 

“Good job!” He called and swam closer to hold onto Harry again. “Why don't you try jumping in and treading? I’ll be right here to catch you okay? You need to be able to put your head under without freaking out.” He explained and rubbed his thumbs into Harry’s sides. 

Harry nodded and sucked in a breath. He felt confident about this now, knowing Louis would grab him and help him stay afloat if he needed it. He got out of the water and shook himself off before looking at Louis. 

Louis gave him a thumbs up and smiled before moving back to give him room. 

“I’m right here.” He reminded him and nodded towards the water. 

Harry nodded back and returned the thumbs up before taking a few deep breaths. He breathed in and out and in and out before sucking in a breath and just jumping in. Louis watched as the water splashed all around them, soaking himself and making Harry go a few feet under the surface. He moved closer in case he was needed and watched as Harry pushed himself up from under the surface and and let out the happiest laugh Louis had ever heard. 

“I did it!” He yelled as he grabbed onto Louis’ shoulders and wrapped his legs around his torso to hug him. Louis laughed and hugged him back, pushing his face into the crook of Harry’s neck before pulling back. 

He looked at Harry’s face, admiring how his green eyes his eyes were and how they twinkled when he was excited. He reached up to brush Harry's curls behind his ear and then brushed his knuckles against his dimples. 

Harry stared back, his smile falling a bit as he got lost in Louis’ oceanic eyes. They were just as deep and blue as the ocean they were in now and he swore Louis must be magical. He could see the sky around them turning magnificent shades of red and orange and pink and purple, casting shadows on Louis’ sharp cheekbones and contrasting his lips. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen him clearly before this moment. Sure he was attracted to him but being so close… it made everything more intense. 

Louis couldn’t help it anymore. He was pretty sure all the signs were there that Harry liked him back. They were so close to kissing before and he was really close now- nothing was going to stop him this time. 

He sucked in a soft breath and leaned in, closing his eyes and pressing his lips to Harry’s. Harry only seemed surprised for a second before he leaned into it as well and kissed Louis back. 

Louis was almost positive there were fireworks in his head. They were loud and bright and he couldn’t help but feel his heart bursting when Harry kissed him back. 

He thought this couldn’t possibly get better but then Harry was licking along his lower lip and inviting Louis to do the same. Louis happily obliged and leaned back so Harry could lay against him as they kissed. Louis felt Harry's arms wrapping around his neck and he smiled as he slid his arms around his hips. He kissed into Harry’s mouth, enjoying how he tasted of sweet strawberries before he had to pull back to just collect himself. 

They lie in silence for a few moments, just the sound of the ocean and their slightly heavy breathing as background noise. Louis was dragging his fingers up and down Harry’s spine absentmindedly and Harry was doing the same to nape of Louis’ neck. 

“Well that was something” Louis whispered and smiled as Harry began to giggle and nod. 

“It really was.” He decided and leaned forward to kiss Louis again, just because he could. Louis smiled against his lips and kissed him back before he pulled away. 

They couldn’t stop stealing kisses the rest of the night. Even when Harry had to get out because it was too cold, Louis got right up onto the rock and wrapped Harry in a towel and pulled him into his chest to rest. He rubbed up and down Harry’s back, letting him rest while he told stories about the stars and kissed his forehead every few minutes only to realize that wasn’t enough and kissed down to his lips. 

Harry would lean into that and deepen, keeping Louis there longer and longer each time before Louis would pull away since he had more self control and teasingly reprimand Harry. 

“I need to go home soon.” Harry whispered and pouted up at Louis. Louis cooed and ruffled his damp curls. 

“You’ll be able to come back tomorrow, sweetums. And I’m not going anywhere.” He said and nodded to assure Harry. “

Harry sighed and nodded as well. He didn’t want to go home. Going home meant that he wouldn’t be able to pretend his life with Louis was all he had. At home he had to think about uni and money and here with Louis everything just felt right. He slowly pulled himself from Louis’ arms and got his clothing on. “I will be back tomorrow. I promise.” He said and leaned down to be at Louis’ level. 

“Does this mean we’re like… boyfriends?” He asked, blushing as he asked because he felt so silly. 

Louis smiled and cupped his chin, tilting it so Harry was forced to look at him. “Honey,” He whispered and kissed him softly. “If that's what you want to be. I’d love to be your boyfriend. Your pretty mermaid boyfriend.” He said and smiled, watching how Harry smiled right back. He watched the boy nod and closed his eyes when Harry leaned in to kiss him once more. 

“I’ll come back tomorrow with dinner and we can swim again.” He promised as he stood. 

Louis just nodded and waved to him. “Sounds good. I’m excited to see you again.” He promised and blew him a kiss. 

“Drive home safe.” He said and smiled as Harry gave him a thumbs up while retreating. 

Louis watched until he couldn’t see Harry’s body anymore and then he slipped back into the water. He couldn’t have wished for a better day and now he had a boyfriend. He could barely believe that. 

He fell asleep in his special spot that night, feeling calmer and happier than ever before. He finally had someone to call his and he hoped it wouldn’t ever end. Being with Harry was a dream come true and he knew as he dreamt that this was the beginning of something extraordinary. 

[+]

Louis had never had more fun in his life. Harry came down again the next day and said fuck it to his homework. He just wanted to be in the water with Louis. He stripped down while Louis watched and Louis even made sure to whistle and splash the water up with his tail laughing as Harry blushed and jumped in. 

He still wasn’t very happy in the water, but it just gave him an excuse to hold onto Louis and Louis was not about to object to that. He let Harry wrap his legs around him and he laid back, floating on his back and using his tail to just move them around while they kissed lazily. 

Some nights Harry would get to stay later, all night occasionally, saying he was at a friend’s which wasn’t technically a lie. He would make himself a comfortable place on the rocks with his sleeping bag and blankets. Louis would lay beside him, half in and half out of the water. He would cuddle Harry and hug him, hold his hand while he slept so they didn’t drift apart. (Later, Harry had surprised him with some otters since they also slept holding hands. Louis hadn’t said anything, just attacked him with fond kisses all over.)

Other times Harry really couldn’t stay long but they made the most of it. Harry brought food to share and talked about how he wanted to be a veterinarian because he loved animals and he just wanted to save them. He told Louis about how one day he wanted a house with some kids and a dog. Some cats too and probably more animals since he loved them so much. Louis teased that if he got a fish tank that he could live with him and Harry had hit his chest while giggling before they got distracted by kissing. 

You could say their relationship was going great. Louis would never have dreamed that he would be able to fall in love with someone as a mermaid, it just didn’t seem plausible. Wasn’t written in the stars, but here we was and he was loving it. And Harry was too. 

Except that he wasn’t. Of course, outwardly he really was happy with everything that was going on. He absolutely loved being able to come to The Cove and get away from his problems but he couldn’t escape them forever. He couldn’t completely forget them either. He loved Louis, but he was sure this couldn’t work forever- and that was depressing to think about. He didn’t want to imagine how one day he wouldn’t have Louis by his side. He wouldn’t get to stand at the altar as Louis walked down the aisle. He wouldn’t have a dream life with Louis- and he probably wouldn’t get anything at all. 

But he knew he couldn’t focus on that now. He just didn’t have it in him.

One day, Harry had brought a spread to lay out for them, a bigger meal than usual but he had made every bit of it so Louis wasn’t complaining. He was feeding the food to Louis as they lounged in the sun before he cleared his throat. 

“Do you think… like… I could ever become a mermaid too?” Harry asked casually. 

Louis had almost spit his food out, choking and sitting up while Harry pounded his back. 

“No!” He said forcefully, grabbing a napkin to wipe his mouth. “Absolutely not.” He huffed and frowned. “Why would you ask that? You know how to become a mermaid. It’s dangerous Harry. Besides, there isn’t even a guarantee that it would work.” 

Harry frowned and sat up to face Louis. “No offense, but you aren’t really the boss of me.” He snapped. “I can become a mermaid if I want to.” 

Louis scoffed. “No you couldn’t. You know what being a mermaid means? It means being alone. It means saying goodbye to friends and family and your home. It means not getting to live your dreams-,” 

“But you aremy dream!” Harry cut him off and sighed out, frustrated he had let it slip out. “I wouldn't be alone, I would have you-”

“Forever.” He reminded him. “You would be stuck with me forever.”

Harry gave him a look. “I would get to be with you forever. We would live together- you would be my family. Sure I would miss mine, but maybe I could tell them.” He suggested lightly. Louis gave him a hard look. 

“I wouldn’t, but suppose you did. You would still have a family. And then what? Give up your other dreams? The career you want, the big house and picturesque family? The legs you have to jump and dance and run wherever you’d like to go? Harry it’s mental. Nobody wants to be this.” He said, gesturing to his tail. 

Harry frowned and looked at him. “Do you not want me to be a mermaid, is that it? You don’t like me enough, whatever we have is… it’s nothing?” He asked. 

Louis’ face softened and he shook his head, leaned forward and gently touching his arm. “No, no, no… babe, that’s not it at all.” He said softly. “I love you so much. And that’s why I don’t want you to give any of that stuff up. You’ll end up resenting me for it.” He explained and tilted Harry’s chin up. “It would kill me if you got hurt. If you died and didn’t come back. I might be able to say yes if I knew for sure, if I knew you would have your family and your dreams, but I can’t promise you that you’ll have all of that.” He whispered. 

Harry nodded softly and touched Louis’ hand. “You really think that me staying human is best?” He asked tentatively. 

“For us? I don’t know.” He said truthfully. “One day you’ll have to move on from me. You won’t want to date a mermaid forever you know.” He said and smiled softly. “But you know that I love you, don’t you? And that what we have right now is what's important. Let’s not focus on the future.”

Harry didn’t look certain, but he nodded despite that. He leaned forward and kissed Louis’ lips before he pulled him in for a hug too. 

“I love you.” He whispered into Louis’ ear. Louis smiled softly and wrapped his arms around Harry’s shoulders and kissed just below his ear. 

“I love you too.” He promised.

[+]

Louis let Harry relax for a couple of days, not wanting to bring up the fight they had. They sorted it out but it was still a bit of a rough topic and Louis didn’t want to upset Harry during their limited time together. So while Harry did his homework, Louis would swim around and find things he thought was interesting to show Harry. Sometimes he would just lay beside Harry, head resting against his skin and read his books and notes with him. 

They didn’t talk much then, it was all gentle touches, light kissing as a greeting, and a few whispers, nothing more than a few ‘I love you’s’. 

For now Louis was okay with that. They were together and even sitting silently was intimate in a nice way. It wasn’t a lot of pressure to entertain, which was nice. 

A week after the fight they started to joke around again, teasing more and pushing each other into silly things. Harry begged Louis for another show with tricks and the like, Louis groaned playfully but did as he asked.

Louis convinced Harry to read him the story of Peter Pan every night before he went home and it was always such a nice way to calm down after a long day for both of them. And he was finally able to forget they even had a fight. 

He thought it was in the past. They had made a decision together and that was that. They didn’t have to talk about their future so much yet. Louis figured if they wanted to really be together forever Harry could get a house on the beach or a boathouse maybe, something of the sort. They would be together in the evenings, Louis would catch dinner and Harry would cook it. It wasn’t conventional, but Louis thought that was okay. They weren’t exactly a normal couple. 

But it had been eating Harry up from the inside out, his mind always telling him it wouldn’t be enough, none of it would ever be enough. They were too different now, but he didn’t want to give Louis up. He heard the story of how he had turned into a mermaid and he was convinced he could do it. It would just have to be a bit of a secret. 

Harry showed up on a weekday, knowing Louis wouldn’t expect him so early and began to strip to his underwear. The water was a bit choppy from the wind and he knew there was a storm coming but that just made it even more helpful for him, he was sure it was going to be hard to actually drown himself. 

He looked down into the dark waters, breathing a bit heavier before he dove in. He only went a few feet under before he surfaced again and began to tread water. Harry looked around and frowned as he noticed the darkening sky. He really hoped this worked. He was banking on the only thing he needed was to drown, not anything magical. He wasn’t sure if a full moon or half moon was needed for this, but he had to take this chance. He loved Louis and no matter what Louis said he needed to be like him. He needed to be the same so he wouldn’t lose him. That was his worst fear and he was not about to let it come true. 

He looked for something to dive for and noticed a pretty weighty rock, going to grab it. He felt himself getting pulled under immediately before he pushed himself back to the surface. He put it onto the rock ledge and climbed back up, shaking out his curls. He picked up his little boulder and counted to three before he jumped in. 

The sinking was almost instantaneous. He went deeper than he had before because of the added weight and when he opened his eyes he could barely see. He knew his hair was floating around his face, but everything else was murky. He ignored the burning in his lungs and fought the urge to kick up to the surface. He let the boulder drag him to the bottom before he laid against the sandy floor. 

Within a few seconds he felt like his lungs were on fire. He sucked in for air desperately, his mind not comprehending the lack of oxygen. It only made everything ten times worse. He could feel his lungs filling up and it only led to him sucking in more water, trying for air but knowing he wouldn’t get it. He was flailing and kicking and trying his best to get to the top, but before he knew it- everything went black. 

[+] 

Louis had shown up to their spot earlier than usual that day, just because he wanted to see Harry. Earlier in the day he swam with dolphins and he absolutely couldn’t wait to tell Harry about it. 

When he swam over he noticed something off. Harry’s things were there but there was no Harry. He swam closer and looked around, frowning and ducking underwater to look for him. He swam to the other side of the rocks and back until he saw something. 

He wished he hadn’t seen it at all.   
Harry’s lifeless body was lying strewn across the rocks, water washing over his smooth pale skin and making his hair flow in the water. Louis hurried over and poked at him, trying to get him to respond. 

Nothing was happening. Louis’ heart quickened as he tried to move Harry again, getting no response. 

“No, no, no, no,” He repeated to himself as he pulled Harry from the water. He swam with Harry on his chest, face up so Harry could get air if he needed before he pulled them both up onto the rocks. Louis felt his entire body shaking as he placed an ear to his chest. He couldn’t hear a thing so he did the only thing he could think of. 

He began to press down on Harry’s chest, trying to get him to start breathing and get the air out of his lungs. He turned him onto his side and whacked his back, trying to get the water out. None of it seemed to be working. It felt like an out of body experience as he tried everything he could. He didn’t even notice the tears flowing down his cheeks. 

“C’mon Harry, c’mon don't do this to me!” He screamed, hitting him harder than he should’ve probably. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Harry couldn’t be dead. He absolutely couldn’t be dead. He was all Louis had. 

Louis wouldn’t stop hitting Harry’s back and only minimal water was coming out. He was going to give up soon, but he couldn’t bring himself to yet. He couldn’t just give up on Harry. 

Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped Louis watched Harry jerk forward, coughing up water. He did it a few times, retching and jerking his body forward until he was throwing up into the water. Louis didn’t even care how disgusting it was because he had thought Harry was dead. He let out a loud cry and threw himself onto Harry’s back and hugged him tightly. He cried into the back on his neck, letting Harry rest and catch his breath again. 

Harry eventually sat up and pulled Louis into his arms weakly, not having an inkling of an idea about what had happened after he passed out. He looked down at his legs and kicked them. Still human. All of that for nothing. 

After twenty or so minutes Louis had cried himself dry, so he looked up at Harry. “What were you thinking?” He asked, hitting his chest. “Swimming in a storm? You could’ve been killed! I thought you were dead!” He yelled. 

Harry winced and kept his eyes trained on the water. “That was the point.” He whispered softly as he dragged his fingers up and down Louis’ spine. “I tried to be like you and I- I couldn’t. Something stopped me, I don’t know what happened, but it didn’t work.” 

Louis was still upset but he felt… different when he heard that. Harry had tried to do that. He had purposely drowned himself to become a mermaid. Louis knew in some part of his mind he was supposed to find that romantic. How sweet that Harry would die to be with him, very Romeo and Juliet-esque, but all he could find in his heart was anger. He hit Harry’s chest hard and clenched his fists.

“Why would you do that?” He screamed. He was livid, eyes red with anger and he wished he had legs right now so he could stop his feet and storm off. “You tried to drown after we talked about this, we talked about why you wouldn’t do this and you do it anyway, are you absolutely bloody mental?”

Harry frowned and held his skin where Louis hit and shoved right back. “We didn’t talk about it! It was you telling me no and not letting me make decisions for myself! I’m my own person Louis and I love you-”

“Love me? You almost permanently died because you wanted to prove your love?” He screeched. “No, Harry Styles. No. Absolutely not. I will not let you say you did this out of love. You did this because you thought it was best, and you thought you fucking knew it all, but you don’t Harry! This stunt proves you are nothing but a child!”

“Well if i’m such a child then maybe our whole relationship was a sham, because children clearly don’t know how to love!” Harry screamed right back. 

Louis shoved Harry. “I never said that, but you don’t even know how scared I was when I found you! I thought I had lost you forever!” 

“If I have to stay human you will lose me forever!” He screamed and pushed right back. 

Louis fell into the water but kept himself above to look at Harry. “If letting you go and keeping your alive is what I have to do then I’ll do it.” He spoke after a moment. “If you love something set it free. I can’t risk losing you like that.” He finished and breathed in and out deeply. 

Harry just watched him from the rocks, amazed that this was how it was going. He didn’t know what to say so he stayed silent before he turned away quickly, walking back to his clothing and pulling it on. Thunder crashed loudly above him and he felt the rain coming on. He didn’t look back at Louis as he walked over the rocks and onto the beach. 

Louis was still angry, but as he watched Harry turn, he wished for him to come back. He wasn’t about to beg for that though. Harry would be back tomorrow and they would talk. Talking now would just lead to another screaming match. 

Louis saw Harry’s figure disappear like always but he didn’t move away like usual. He found a space in the water by the rocks that sheltered him and let him rest while the storm raged on. 

[+]

The next day came and went with no sign of Harry. Louis waited by their spot all day, knowing if he came back he would come here, but no sign of him appeared. 

The day after Louis remained hopeful. Harry needed time to calm down, that was understandable. They had both done and said some things they regretted and Louis knew it wouldn’t be fixed as easily as the fight before, but he knew they could work it out. They had to. 

But Harry didn’t come. 

The third day Louis was losing hope but he didn't leave his spot. He wouldn’t even submerge fully and he stopped trying to sleep because the stress was eating him alive. He only ate if he could grab whatever fish swam by and soon they started to learn his pattern. 

By the fourth day he was getting antsy. Harry had never gone more than a day without seeing Louis and this all felt so strange. He didn’t like it at all. He was formulating apologies in his head while he waited day and night for Harry. 

He didn’t come by for a week. And then he didn’t come by for another. Louis waited dutifully by their rock, not wanting to miss him if he came by. He knew in the back of his mind that this was the end, he had to accept that he had lost Harry, but it was too much to think about. So he didn’t. 

He tried to make himself leave the rock but he couldn’t. He just couldn’t do it. He needed Harry back. 

He hadn’t expected to get this kind of hurt from a human. He felt absolutely dead inside and he didn’t know what was worse. If he had actually been killed it would've been done and over with. No suffering- but this? This was like dying one thousand deaths. He felt like his heart was being stabbed and kicked and punched and set on fire only to be drowned. 

All he wanted was for Harry to come back to him, but that dream was quickly coming to an end. 

Until he saw Harry walking to him one day. 

At first he thought it was a mirage. He hadn’t seen Harry in two weeks at least (he had lost track of the days, they all blended together so easily when you were tired) and he was pretty sure he had never been so happy in his life. 

Harry didn’t look very happy though. He didn’t have any of his things- no picnic basket or blankets, no towels or school notes to do while they sat together, but Louis supposed that was okay. Baby steps. 

“Hi.” He said softly once Harry had stopped in front of him. 

Harry nodded and got down onto the rock to sit. “Hello.” He spoke, no emotion in his voice. 

Louis was beginning to get nervous and he bit his lip as he watched Harry. They sat in silence for a few minutes before he cleared his throat and sat onto the rock, moving close to Harry. 

“I want to say I’m sorry-”

“I think we should end us.” Harry interrupted quickly and pressed his lips together. He didn’t look at Louis when he said it. “I want to break up. I can’t- I can’t- I can’t do whatever this is. I can’t do a fling with a mermaid. I can’t live my life on a rock, Louis.” 

Louis opened his mouth to speak, but Harry held a hand up. 

“You were right. There are things that I want in this world. I was a pretty house, a big backyard, kids, and a dog. I want a husband I can come home to and kiss when I finish work. I want to be a veterinarian to help pets in need, and this? This will never give me that.

“You won’t ever give me the life I want. I want my family, I want my dreams, and I want my husband to support the decisions I make and love me even if I want to change a little.”

“Harry, you know that isn’t fair-”

Harry held a hand up again. “No. I tried to become like you because it was important to me that I was. It was important to me that we get to be mermaids together, and I know what you said about it. That is was lonely and terrifying, but I had you.” He said softly. “You and I had each other. I could’ve spent an eternity with you.” 

“And we can, Harry, I swear I’ll do it. I’ll help you become like me, I’ll find the right way and make sure we can be together like that forever, please.” He begged softly. He heard his voice shaking and cracked slightly at the end. Harry only pressed his lips together and shook his head silently. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered and stood. Louis couldn’t believe it was happening. He was frozen in his spot and it wasn’t as if he could run after Harry. He watched him step over the rocks like he had seen hundreds of times before, watched him make the trek through the sand until his body was nothing but a speck and then it was gone. 

Louis didn’t know what to do. He had nothing in his mind, knowing this was the end for him. Harry was his one shot and he had blown it. Harry had become his friend, had kept his mermaid secret, had kept him company every day, had loved him, had kissed him. Everything. Louis couldn’t think of what he would do differently to change the outcome because maybe deep down he wanted Harry to go. 

But that wasn’t true and all of it was over. He slipped back into the water after nightfall and submerged himself. He turned away from the rocks and began to swim. He didn’t know where he was going but any place had to be better than here. He didn’t collect his things, he didn’t linger and think, he just turned and left. 

And he never looked back.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think and thank you for reading! :)


End file.
